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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · arm · season · jam · mouse · saw · band · calf

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com